2009 Yamaha YZ250F Shootout Photos

December 7, 2008

Yamaha came up in the bottom spot last year, did Yamaha kick it up a few notches and take the top spot? Check out the full story in our 2009 250F Motocross Shootout.

The new crop of 4-strokes has another foe to deal with now in the amateur ranks. New rules allow 2-stroke 250 machines to compete in the same class. Check out what we thought about the 2009 Yamaha YZ250.

2009 Yamaha YZ250F

The Kayabas are downright astounding across the board. It didn’t matter what size or how fast the test riders were, Yamaha has been refining and improving the front and rear KYB suspension components to near perfection.

The Yamaha has been one of our favorite bikes, but every year it’s unjustly demoted because another bike offers an attention-grabbing feature.

2009 Yamaha YZ250F

Cruse was happy to try out Yamaha after having a year hiatus from the brand. She grew up riding Blue and it took a season away to realize some of the benefits Yamaha provides.

Everyone can agree that it’s virtually unflappable anywhere on the track with stability that you can count on.

The tapered wheel spacers, gold chain, 55mm footpegs and dual triple clamp handlebar mounts make living with the Yamaha on a daily basis easier than with your significant other.

Everything about the YZ-F speaks to an overriding theme of confidence and reliability.

The fact that the Tuning Fork gang is chipping away at the Honda in our shootout standings is impressive enough, but we really like that Yamaha is doing it by sticking to its guns rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.

Yamaha comes flying into 2009 with a few changes that we know make it better than the '08 version.It still retains the Yamaha characteristics that we've come to expect, whether good or bad.

Three narrow category victories for suspension, handling and ergonomics kept it in the game, but ultimately it couldn’t woo our testers enough to get a first-place overall vote.

Some like the stable, predictable handling while others want the YZ-F to be more nimble. It seemed to work well here.

Last place scores for its brakes and appearance created sizeable dings, but keep in mind that these are two of the more volatile categories.

Though not as buff off the bottom, even with a 2.4-inch extension on the header, Yamaha has found a meaty midrange and shows less waver than the other bikes as redline nears.